M.I.A. Channels A Middle Schooler And Flicks Off The Country

Just because Madonna didn’t strip naked on stage or perform a provocative song such as “Like A Virgin,” doesn’t mean that the Super Bowl halftime show was without controversy. Notorious pop rebel M.I.A flashed her middle finger at the camera for a hot sec and now everyone in the Internet world is absolutely giddy with excitement over this year’s showstopping scandal.

Except it wasn’t a showstopper. Until the Internet made it one. Blame it on the food I was shoveling into my mouth, but I didn’t even notice it until I started reading about it online later in the game. And all I have to say about the entire incident is “cool M.I.A,” you really stuck it to the man. You showed us who’s boss!

NBC Sports issued an apology and called the moment a “spontaneous gesture” — a phrase that might go down in history alongside “wardrobe malfunction.” “We apologize for the inappropriate gesture that aired during halftime,” the network said in a statement. “It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late.”

The NFL apologized too, but placed the blame squarely on NBC: “There was a failure in NBC’s delay system. The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans.”

Janet Jackson‘s infamous nip slip was a scandal worthy of conversation (and I guess apology) because people usually don’t walk around slipping you their nipple. Someone flipping off a camera is not conversation worthy. Steal a cab from someone in New York and you’ll get the finger. Interrupt a middle schooler while she’s in the middle of a Facebook chat and you’ll get the finger. Try to convince my grandmother to get off of AOL dial-up and you’ll get the finger — as well as a string of expletives.

The finger is not scandalous and I think it’s super lame that M.I.A chose to do it. If you’re going to do something crazy to get headlines, be brave and do something that’s worthy of us talking about it. Strip naked. Dry hump Cee Lo. Start doing the Macarena. Anything but a sly flip of the finger.

Missed the big moment too? Check out the video below and see if you spot it.